The present invention relates to cold storage facilities and, more particularly, to energy transfer systems for maintaining the floor of a cold storage facility at a desired temperature to eliminate underfloor icing and for reducing the operating temperature of the condenser and/or compressor in the cooling system and for cooling the exterior of the building.
Cold storage facilities are utilized in many different industries for storing perishable items such as meat, dairy products, vegetables or the like. Some of these applications require the temperature within the facility to remain well below zero degrees Fahrenheit such as for the storage of ice cream or ice. In these facilities, it is possible that the floor, which is ordinarily concrete, may freeze. In the event the floor becomes frozen, if water or the like is underneath the floor, it is possible for the water to form into ice. This is known as underfloor icing which, as the ice expands, may cause heaving of the floor or columns, which hold the building together.
To alleviate underfloor icing problem, electric heating coils have been used to warm the floor to prohibit the underfloor ice. Also, some installations may utilize air ducts or pipes through which a liquid is recirculated. All of these systems require a significant amount of energy in order to provide a desired heating function to maintain the temperature under the floor at a desired level.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an energy transfer system which significantly reduces the energy required to maintain the fluid temperature of a circulating fluid in a piping system to prevent underfloor icing and which also reduces the energy consumption of the cooling system by lowering the condensing temperature. The present invention provides the art with an energy transfer system which utilizes the heat created by the ground and the cooling system (condenser/compressor) in order to heat the fluid passed through the piping system. The present invention includes a fluid which withdraws heat from a heat exchanger in the ground prior to entering the condenser and/or compressor where a second heat exchanger also withdraws additional heat. The heated fluid then passes under the floor into a piping grid to warm the space beneath the floor. Additional heating, from a source such as a gas boiler or electric heat pump, may be required to heat the fluid during periods when heat from the cooling system and ground is insufficient.
An additional objective of the present invention is to provide an energy transfer system which reduces the energy required during summer operation (or in a warm climate year round) to cool the building. This is accomplished by using the previously described ground heat exchanger to reject heat from the fluid into the ground prior to entering the building walls and roof where heat gained from the ambient surroundings is absorbed by the fluid in the piping circuit passing through the walls and roof.
Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment, and the appended claims and accompanying drawings, or may be learned by practice of the invention.